Excelsior-cutting machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. ABEL. EXCELSIOR CUTTING MAGHINB.

No. 588,882. Patented June 8, 1897.l

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 2. E. ABEL. EXCELSIOR CUTTING MACHINE.

' No. 583,882. Patented June 8,1897.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3` F. ABEL.

Patented June C, 1897.

EXCELSIOR CUTTING MACHINE.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FRANCIS ABEL, OF ROSEDALE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KANSAS CITY EXCELSIORMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

EXCELSIOR-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,882, dated June 8,1897. Application filed September 22, 1896. Serial No. 66,634. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known thatI, FRANCIS ABEL, of Rosedale, IVyandotte county, Kansas,have' invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excelsior-CuttingMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.

My invention relates to excelsior-l'nachines; and it consists in certainnovel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of partshereinafter described, and pointed out in appended claim.

The object of the invention is to produce a machine of this characterwhich is positive and reliable in operation and. comparatively simpleand inexpensive of construction.

In order that the invention may be fullyv understood, reference is to behad to the said accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 representsafront View of an excelsior-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2represents a section taken on the line II II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3represents, on an enlarged scale, a cross-section on the line III III ofFig. 1. Fig. 4represents, on an enlarged scale and in plan view, one ofthe switch-wheels and its engaging worm-wheel. Fig. 5 represents a rearview of the planing or cutting mechanism at one side of the machine, theguide-standardsbeingshowninsection. Fig. 6 represents a vertical centralsection of the same. Fig. 7 represents a horizontal section taken on theline VII VII of Fig. 5.

Referring to said drawings in detail, 1 designates the bottom, 2 thetop, 3 the outer, and 4 the inner, standards of a strong and durablevertically-arranged framework, said parts being constructed, preferably,of channeliron. Journaled horizontally in the standards 4, near theirupper ends, is a shaft 5, and mounted rigidly upon said shaft at itsmiddle is a belt-wheel 6 and at its ends disks or wheels 7 and 8,provided at their outer sides and at diametrically opposite points withwrist-pins 9, to which are pivotally connected at their upper ends inthe customary manner the pitmen 10. Said pitinen are bolted at theirlower ends to the metallic straps 11.

12 designates vertical plates, of sheet metal,

having their faces adjacent to and paralleli with the front sides of thechannel-bars 3 and 4 and bent so as to provide the vertical iianges 13,which fit slidingly and snugly between the guide-blocks 14, bolted tosaid channelbars, as shown clearly on Sheet 3.

At a suitable distance apart each plate 12 is provided with openings 15,and projecting downwardly and forwardly through the upper opening is aplane or cutting-plate 16 and upwardly and forwardly through the loweropenin g a plane or cutting-plate 17. The stationary frame of the upperplane is provided with extended ears 18, which carry the pin 19, uponwhich the lower end of the corresponding strap 11 is pivotally mounted.Said planes are set to cut at the required depth in the customary mannerby the clamping-bolts 20, extending through notches or slots of theplane or cutting-blade.

Arranged below the plane 16 is a transverse slotted frame 21, and asimilar-frame is arranged just above the plane 17. Each of said planesis clamped reliably and immovablybetween the angle-plates 22, bolted tothe plate 12, and the transverse plates 23. A setof scoring-knives 24 ofthe customary form project outwardly from each frame 21 and through theopening 15 of its corresponding plate, and they are held reliablyin thepositionrequired by means of the clamping-bolts 25. By this arrangementand disposition of the parts it is obvious that as the plate 12 is moveddownward the plane 16 operates, and that as it -is moved upward theplane 17 operates, this alternate operation of said planes continuing aslong as the machine is in operation.

26 designates stationary bearings which are bolted or otherwise suitablysecured to the front anges of the channel-bars or st-andards 3 and 4,one set of said bearings, being located at a point opposite the lowestlimit of travel of the planes 16and the other opposite the upper limitof travel of the planes 17, and j ournaled in said bearings arecorrugated or toothed rollers. The roller at the lower limit of movementof the plane 16 at one side of the machine is numbered 27, anddiagonallyopposite is the roller 27 f, located at the upper end of thelimit of movement of the plane 17 at the opposite side of the machine.Above said roller is the roller 28, located at IOO the lower end orlimit of movement of the plane 1G at the corresponding side of themachine, and diagonally opposite and below the roller 27 is the roller28, located at the upper limit of movement of the plane 17 at thecorresponding side of the machine.

As will hereinafter appear, the rollers 27 and 27 work together andalternately with respect to the rollers 2S and 2S. Mounted rigidly uponthe extensions of the rollers 27, 27, 2S, and 2S are worm-wheels 27',27', 2S', and 2S', respectively. Arranged vertically above the rollers27 and 28, respectively, are similar rollers 27b and 28h, and saidrollers are journaled in bearings 29, fitting snugly against the face ofthe framework and provided with longitudinal slots 30, which engageguide and retaining bolts 31, projecting from said framework. Saidbearings are also provided with upwardly-extending rack-bars 32,engaging cog-wheels 33, mounted rigidly upon shafts 34, journaled inbearing brackets or bars 35, bolted or otherwise suitably secured to thestandards 3 and 4 of the framework, and said shafts are provided alsowith handles or levers 3G, by which they may be operated, for a purposewhich will hereinafter appear.

Vertically below the rollers 27n and 2S are the rollers 27" and 28M',respectively, and said rollers are journaled in bearings 29, providedwith slots 30, engaged by clamping and steering bolts 3l, projecting, asabove eX- plained, from the framework. These bearings are also providedwith rack-bar extensions 32, engaged by cog-wheels 33, mounted rigidlyon shafts Said shafts are also journaled in bearing brackets or bars 35,secured to the framework, and are provided with handles 3G. Each pair ofsuperposed or vertically-alined bearing-boxes are held toward each otherwith a yielding force by means of the retractile springs 37, which areattached at their opposite ends to said bearings and tend, therefore, tomove the rollers 27b and 28" down toward the stationary `rollers 27 and2S, respectively, and the movable rollers 27 and 28' upwardly toward therollers 27 n and 2S, respectively, so as to hold the blocks of wood 38firmly and reliablyin position, one of said blocks being arrangedbetween each pair of rollers, the latter impinging firmly against theends of the block, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, and holding it adjacentto and parallel with the vertically-reciprocating knife orplane-carrying plate 12.

Mounted upon the inward]y-extending end of the rollers 27h, 28h, 27",and 28a" are wormwheels 27', 28h', 27"', and 28W', respectively, theseworm-wheels being of the same size and located in the same verticalplane as the worm-wheels hereinbefore described.

3S) and 40 designate a pair of verticallyalined shafts which togetherexceed the distance between the upper and lower sliding bearings 29 andare journaled at their upper and lower ends in bearings 41. At a pointopposite the middle of Jthe space between the rollers 27 and 2S themeeting ends of said shafts are journaled in a bearing 42.

The shaft 39 is provided with a worm-th read 43, engaging the worm-wheel27', and with a worm-thread 44, engaging the worm-wheel 27'.

The shaft 40 is provid ed with a worm-thread 45, engaging theworm-wl1eel2S', and with a worm-thread 4G, engaging the worm-wheel283,!!!-

At the opposite sido of the machine are arranged a similar pair ofvertically-alined shafts 47 and 4S, and said shafts are also journaledin bearings 41 and the middle bearing 42, as before described.

The shaft 47, at its upper end, is provided with a worm-thread 49,engaging a wormwheel 28h', and near its lower end with the worm-thread50,engagin g the worm-wheel 2S The shaft 4S is provided with awormthread 51, engaging the worm-wheel 27f", and with a worm-thread 52,engaging the wormwheel 27"'.

At a suitable point the inner standards 4 are connected by a brace-bar53, and secured thereon are bearings 54 for a pair of vertical shafts 55and 56. Said shafts, at their upper ends, are journaled in brackets 57,secured to the framework, and carry worin-'wheels 5S, engaging the camor switch-wheels 59, secured rigidly upon the shaft 5 at opposite sidesof the belt-wheel 6, said switch-wheels being preferably constructed intwo parts and bolted together, as shown, and having peripheries in theform of a spiral fla'nge, the convolutions of which for the greater partof the circumference of each wheel extend parallel and have theircomparatively abrupt inclined portions (S arranged at diametricallyopposite points, in order that when the inclined or cam portion of onewheel is acting upon its corresponding worm-wheel S the parallelportions of the spiral fiange of the other wheel will be in engagementwith the corresponding worm-wheel 5S, so as not to operate it, as willbe readily understood.

A sprocket chain (31 connects sprocketwheels G2 and G3 on the shafts 55and 39, respectively, and a similar sprocket-chain 64 connectssprocket-wheels 65 and 15G on the shafts 5G and 47, respectively.

A sprocket chain 67 connects sprocketwheel GS on the shaft with thesprocketwheel on the shaft 4S, and a similar sprocket-chain 70 connects`sprock( t-wheel 7l on the shaft 5G with sprocket-wheel 72 `on shaft 40.i

The general operation is as follows: It being assumed that the parts arein the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, with one set of planes orknives depressed and the other elevated and the lower knife or plane 17at the left-hand side of the machine and the upper knife or plane 16 atthe right-hand side of the machine about to perform synchronously theirfunctionsthat is, to act upon their respective blocks of wood 558- TOOIlO

and, in conjunction with their precedent scoring-knives, produceeXcelsior as the resultant product. Vhile the parts are in the positionsshownthat is, while the pitmen 10 are passing the dead-center and theplanes are for a moment inoperativethe cam or inclined portion of theswitch-wheel at the right-hand side of the machine rotatably adjusts theshaft 56 through the medium of its worm-wheel 5S. This slight rotatablemovement of the shaft 56, through the medium of the gearing hereinbeforedescribed-that is, the sprocket-chains 64 and 70 and the engagedsprocket-wheels-operates the shafts 47 and 40, and through the medium ofthe worm-gearing rotatably adjusts the toothed rollers 28 and 28b and 28and 28M', so as to move their respective blocks of wood bodily inwardabout the distance of one one-hundredth of an inch, though this distanceof course may be varied as circumstances direct. Immediately thisadjustment of the blocks is made the continued movement of thebelt-wheel causes the pitmen to reverse the position shown in Fig. l,and consequently causes the u pwardly-moving planel7 and thedownwardly-moving plane 18 to shave from said inwardly-adjusted blocksexcelsior of therequired thickness. By the time said planes have reachedthe limit of their movement the other pair of planes 1G and 17 haveassumed positions at the upper and lower ends of their respectiveblocks, and as they take such position said blocks are adjusted inwardlyone one-hundredth of an inch by reason of the fact that the cam orinclined surface of their switch-wheel engages and operates rotatablythe worm-wheel 58 of the shaft 55, and said shaft imparts movement,through the medium of the chains 6l and 67 and their engagedsprocket-wheels, to the shafts 39 and 48, and therefore rotatably adjustthe toothed rollers 27 and 27b and 27a and 2W through the lmedium of theworm-gearing hereinbefore described. Thus it will be seen that with eachcomplete revolution of the belt-wheel 26 all four of the wood blocks areoperated upon, two of them at diagonally opposite points beingsimultaneously planed at each half-revolution and alternately adjustedto accommodate the knives which reciprocate continuously in the samevertical planes.

To secure blocks of wood in position, it is necessary to grasp andoperate the handles or levers 36 and, thereby rotating the cog-wheels33, move the rack-bars 32 and the sliding bearings 29 farther away fromthe companion l the stationary rollers. After a block has been planedsufliciently and a new one is required the old one is removed by simplygrasping the lever and moving the movable roller out of engagement withthe block, as will be readily understood,

It will be understood, of course, that the capacity of this machine maybe increased by duplicatin g the mechanism or parts herein shown anddescribed and that various changes may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit and scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of myinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

A11 eXcelsior-cutting machine, comprising a suitable framework, arotating drive-shaft' mounted thereon, wheels upon said driveshaft,pitmen connected to said wheels at diametrically opposite points,sliding or reciprocating plates guided in the framework and operated bysaid pitmen, oppositely-disposed planes carried by said plate, a pair oftoothed feed-rollers j ournaled upon the framework opposite each plate,a companion toothed roller above and below each pair of said first-namedtoothed rollers, vertical shafts geared to each pair of companiontoothed rollers,a pair of vertical shafts suitably supported, eachgeared to a pair of the diagonally oppositeshafts rst named, worm-wheelsupon said last-named pair of shafts, and switch wheels rigidly mountedupon the drive-shaft, and adapted once in each revolution of said shaftto opcrate its respective worm-gear, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS ABEL. IVitnesses:

E. WRIGHT TAYLOR, G. Y. THORPE.

